Musical instruments



1967 c. o. MUSSER 3,358,543

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 17, 1966 FIG. 1. 50

r I A EDWARD D. O'BR/AA/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,358,543 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Clair Omar Musser, 12997 Blairwood Drive, Studio City, Calif. 91604 Filed Nov. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 595,144 8 Claims. (Cl. 84-173) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to musical instruments, each of which includes a housing across the top of which there extends at least one string which is held under tension between bridges mounted on the housing so as to be capable of vibrating. Each of the instruments inthe present invention preferably includes reinforcement means serving to support the string and the housing and serving to support actuating means capable of being used so as to cause the string to vibrate.

Background Probably thousands of different types of musical instruments have been designed and utilized in the past. Although a tremendous number of such instruments have been created, the number of individuals capable of playing musical instruments is severely limited because of the cost and complexity of these instruments. As a consequence of this, there is a continuous, ever occurring need for instruments which constitute an improvement over prior musical instruments by being simpler and easier to play than prior devices. There is also an ever occurring need for instruments which can be inexpensively manufactured, to enable these instruments to be widely sold to individuals who might not otherwise be able to :afford them.

Description A broad object of the present invention is to provide new and improved musical instruments capable of fulfilling these needs. A related object of this invention is to provide musical instruments which may be inexpensively manufactured and produced and which are very simple as far as their construction is concerned. Another object of this invention is to provide musical instruments having the characteristics indicated in the preceding sentences which are capable of being easily played by individuals who are relatively unskilled in the art of utilizing devices of this type.

These and other objects of this invention, as well as many specific advantages of the instruments, will be more fuly apparent from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification including the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a musical instrument embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG. 4.

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended to clearly illustrate the essential features of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention. From a consideration of these drawings and of the remainder of this specification those skilled in the musical instrument field will realize that other differently appearing instruments may be readily created through the use or exercise of routine design or engineering skill without departing from the features of this invention summarized in the appended claims.

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The actual details of this invention will be best apparent from a careful consideration of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings there is shown an instrument 10 of the present invention which may be referred to as a monochord inasmuch as it utilized a single string 12. The term string used here is employed in a broad generic sense so as to designate steel wires, gut strings, synthetic polymer composition material strings, or various other equivalent structures commonly used in the stringed instrument field.

In the instrument 10 an elongated housing 14 having a top surface 16 surrounded by a peripheral wall or skirt 18 is employed. Preferably the entire housing 14 is formed out of synthetic polymer composition material such as high impact styrene or the equivalent. Materials of this type are commonly considered to be rigid, but in actuality they are only rigid in a limited sense of the term inasmuch as they are capable of deforming when held under compression or tension for prolonged periods.

With the instrument 10, an elongated rigid metal reinforcing bar 20 is employed to hold the string 12 with respect to the housing 14 so as to effectively avoid any tendency for this housing 14 to deform out of a desired initial configuration as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. This bar 20 extends through the length of the housing 14 within the interior of it; it is preferably fitted within slots 22 formed in the inside wall of the skirt 18.

As illustrated in the drawings, block 24 is secured to reinforcing bar 20, by means of rivets or the like. Post 26 is a firm friction fit within the block 24, preferably 'by being slightly tapered and possibly threaded into a tapered hole within block 24. Thus, the post 26 within block 24 type of construction is similar to that used in the adjustment posts used in normal piano constructions. Post 26 extends out of an opening in the top 16 to extend above the top surface. String 12 is engaged around post 26 so that its tension can be controlled by turning of post 26. String 12 extends from post 26 over bridge 28 and across the top of the instrument. It extends across bridge 30 and through an opening 32 to the interior of the instrument where it is engaged around reinforcing bar 20 adjacent the end thereof. It will be noted that the extremity of the string 12 is engaged in notch 34 and is tied in place so as to rigidly secure this end of the string 12 with respect to the bar 20.

From a careful consideration of the foregoing it will be realized that in the instrument 10 the tension of string 12 is primarily taken up by reinforcing bar 20. This result is considered to be exceedingly important since, with the very simple structure described in the foregoing, it is possible to create an instrument such as the instrument 10 in which the string 12 will stay in tune for prolonged periods, even when this instrument is subjected to adverse influences such as high humidity, high temperature or the like which would cause a string in a conventional stringed instrument to get out of tune.

Within the instrument 10 a battery holder 36 is preferably formed as part of the bottom of housing 14. This holder 36 holds batteries in series with a conventional on-otf switch 40 and an electric motor 42 which is mounted on the bar 20. Although the switch 40 may be located wherever desired upon the housing 12, it is normally preferred to locate this switch 40 on the top surface 16 adjacent to one of the ends of the housing.

An ear 44 is punched out of bar 20 adjacent to the motor 42 and is employed so as to hold a pivot pin 46 which in turn rotatably supports actuating lever 48 of a compound shape as illustrated in FIG. 4. One end of the lever 48 is formed to serve as a control button 50 and extends out through an opening in the top surface 16. The other end 54 of the lever 48 holds shaft 56 which rotatably supports a pulley 58. Pulley 58 is capable of being rotated by means of an elastomeric belt 60 which extends around it and another pulley 62 mounted on the drive shaft of motor 42. The pulley 58 carries a plurality of equally spaced headed shafts 64; each of these shafts 64 carries -a small metal ring 65 which is freely mounted on the shaft 64 upon which it is located.

Lever 48 is bifurcated to provide stops 66 and 68 which are respectively engaged beneath and above reinforcing bar 20. The tension of belt 60 is sufficient to normally cause counter-clockwise rotation of lever 48, as seen in FIG. 4, about its pivot pin '46, to cause engagement of stop 68 on the top of reinforcing bar 20, when button 50 is not manually pressed. Upon manual depression of button 50, lever 43 rotates in a clockwise direction until stop 66 engages the bottom of reinforcing bar 20. In this position, rings 65 are positioned to engage upon string 12, causing them to strum the string. Thus, with switch 40 turned on and motor 42 rotating, continuous strumming of the string occurs when button 50 is pressed. Of course, there are intermediate positions of button 50 and shaft- 56. If gently depressed, rings 65 only gently strum string 12 to provide a gentle sound. When depressed to a greater extent, button raises the knobs to the fullest extent for harder strumming of the string. Such engagement causes the string 12 to vibrate. With this construction a simulated plectrum effect is achieved which is very desirable as far as musical quality and tone are concerned. In addition, this effect is achieved without the rings 65 causing undue wear or the like of the string 12. If desired, a small sub-housing or cover 52 may be formed on the top surface 16 so as to extend around the string 12 and pulley 58 for the purpose of protecting the pulley 58 and the operative parts carried upon it.

Different notes are created in the instrument 10 through the movement of a slider 76 upon track 72. Flanges 74 are formed on the slider 70 to permit easy grasp and movement of the slider, The engagement of string 12 on bridge 76 of the slider prevents the slider 70 from being removed from the track 72 except over the end of the track. It will be noted that the track 72 extends along the top surface 16 parallel to and below the string 12 so that bridge 76 on the top of the slider 72 is in constant engagement with the string 12. Preferably indicia 80 are applied by silk screening or other equivalent techniques to the top surface 16 so as to enable a person using the instrument 10 to determine what note will be produced when the button 50 is depressed with the slider 70 in any specific position. The indicia 80 indicate various notes.

From a careful consideration of the foregoing those skilled in the musical instrument field will realize that the instrument 10 is a very simple device which can be inexpensively manufactured and produced. They will also realize that this instrument may be easily and conveniently used by individuals who are comparatively unskilled in playing instruments of this type. Because of the nature of' this invention it is to be considered as being limited solely by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:'

1. A stringed musical instrument which includes:

a housing having a top surface;

bridge means on said housing for supporting a string,

a string positioned so that said string extends along said top surface of said housing between the ends thereof;

means for securing said string to said housing so that said string extends between said bridge means;

lever r'rieans having an end, said lever means being pivotally mounted within said housing, said end of saidlever means being located adjacent to said string 4 between said fixed bridge means and adjacent to one of said fixed bridge means;

a pulley rotatably mounted on said end of said lever means adjacent to said string;

at least one metal ring'rotatably mounted on said pulley so as to extend from said pulley as said pulley is rotated, said ring, said pulley, and said lever means being located so that said ring is capable of being brought into engagement with said string during rotation of said pulley by rotation of said lever means; and

means for rotatingvsaid lever means so as to cause said ring to engage said string during rotation of said pulley.

2. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 1 including track means formed on said top surface of said housing and extending parallel to said string between said extensions, slider means positioned on said track means so as to be capable of being moved along said track means, and wherein said string is engaged by said slider means.

3. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said lever means comprises an end of said lever means located exteriorly of said housing.

4. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing has ends, a bar positioned between the ends of said housing, said string being secured to said bar adjacent said ends of said housing, said lever means being pivotally mounted upon said bar.

5. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for rotating said pulley comprises motor means mounted on said bar within said housing, motor pulley means attached to said motor means so as to be rotated thereby, an elastomeric belt means extending around said pulley and said motor pulley means so as to cause said pulley to turn as said motor means is operated.

6. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 5 including track means formed on said top surface of said housing and extending parallel to said string between said bridges, slider means positioned on said track means so as to be capable of being moved along said track means, and wherein said string is engaged by said slider means.

7. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 5 wherein said lever has first and second stops thereon, said first and second stops being positioned to selectively engage said bar to limit the rotative motion of said lever, said first stop engaging said bar when said elastomeric belt means is extended and said rings are positioned to engage said string and said second stop engaging said bar when said end of said lever means located exteriorly of said housing is unactuated "and said rings are in a position away from where they can engage said string.

8. A stringed musical instrument as defined in claim 7 wherein said track means is formed as a substantially rectangular upstanding track extending substantially the entire distance between one of said bridges and said pulley, said slider means comprising a slider having a channel opening therein, said channel opening being adapted to engage over said track, a bridge on said slider, said bridge being adapted to engage said string, first and second flanges on said slider, said flanges extending upwardly from said bridge on each side of said bridge so as to retain said string on said bridge.

7 No references cited.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. CHARLES OVERBEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WHICH INCLUDES: A HOUSING HAVING A TOP SURFACE; BRIDGE MEANS ON SAID HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING A STRING, A STRING POSITIONED SO THAT SAID STRING EXTENDS ALONG SAID TOP SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF; MEANS FOR SECURING SAID STRING TO SAID HOUSING SO THAT SAID STRING EXTENDS BETWEEN SAID BRIDGE MEANS; LEVER MEANS HAVING AN END, SAID LEVER MEANS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID END OF SAID LEVER MEANS BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO SAID STRING BETWEEN SAID FIXED BRIDGE MEANS AND ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID FIXED BRIDGE MEANS; A PULLEY ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID END OF SAID LEVER MEANS ADJACENT TO SAID STRING; AT LEAST ONE METAL RING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PULLEY SO AS TO EXTEND FROM SAID PULLEY AS SAID PULLEY IS ROTATED, SAID RING, SAID PULLEY, AND SAID LEVER MEANS BEING LOCATED SO THAT SAID RING IS CAPABLE OF BEING BROUGHT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRING DURING ROTATION OF SAID PULLEY BY ROTATION OF SAID LEVER MEANS; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID LEVER MEANS SO AS TO CAUSE SAID RING TO ENGAGE SAID STRING DURING ROTATION OF SAID PULLEY. 